December20, 2018

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) and Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), respectively Ranking Member and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement on plans to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria:

“We are concerned that it would be a strategic error to remove U.S. forces precipitously from Syria without regard to the impact it might have on our ability to consolidate our military gains against ISIS, ensure the safety of our partners, including the Kurds and other Syrian Democratic Forces, and uphold regional stability against malign actors such as Russia and Iran. ISIS was and still remains a lethal threat to America’s security and will seek to inspire threats to the homeland from safe havens around the world. An effective counterterrorism strategy to confront those groups remains appropriate. Congress must be fully informed and included in the deliberations about any policy under consideration.”